Get prepared for Thanksgiving with CityLine.ca — all this week we’re running features and recipes to help you get ready for the holiday weekend.
You’ve avoided it for years thanks to your mom or another relative cooking the bird. But this year, it’s on you. So how do you ensure your first Thanksgiving turkey turns out golden brown and delicious? CityLine.ca asked Chef Jason Parsons, Executive Chef at the Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, for advice. Here’s what he had to say:
How big a bird should I buy?
“I think the key is how many guests are you cooking for – you want to work on about two pounds per guest. And that does leave you leftovers, because we all love leftover sandwiches and things like that. But the other thing is, how long do I cook it for? You’re looking at about three pounds per hour at 325F. A nice low temperature gives you more room if you forgot it for an extra half hour, or if your guests have arrived and you’re not ready, you’ve got a lot of leeway.”
To truss or not to truss?
“The thing for me is, I don’t cook my stuffing inside. So when you get it, remember that all the gizzards and that are inside so you remove that. I think most people nowadays don’t use that. Then all I do is, I fold the wings of the bird under and I put it on vegetables. One key thing is you want to lift it up from the bottom of the pan so it’s not too hot.”
How do I get that gorgeous golden brown colour on the bird?
“Butter is key. You could just use straight butter, or I flavoured the butter – you can flavour it any way you want. What you want to do is take room temperature butter and actually try to put it under the skin as well as on the outside of the skin. The stuff on the outside will probably start to melt away after the first half of the cooking, but the stuff on the inside will still be there for the last half of the cooking. And that’s why it still continues to stay golden brown.”
How do I know when the turkey’s done?
“Biggest thing, and easiest thing, you’ll see it (through) the whole cooking process there’s juices coming out usually around the back of the legs. When those juices start to run clear, that’s when you know it’s done.
How long should it rest for after I take it out of the oven?
A turkey, if you’ve cooked it nice and slow, and you’ve put the butter over it — when it’s done, it doesn’t mean that if you left it another 10 minutes it’d be dry. You can take it out, let it rest for at least 20 minutes, because if you cut it (too soon) you’re going to lose all those juices. (If you let it rest), it’ll be nice and juicy.”